Desperate Times
by Latitude142
Summary: Desperate times call for some desperate measures, in more ways than one!  Sherlock/John slash
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : This story will contain slash at some point so if that don't float your boat this isn't the fic for you! Also reviews would mean the world to me, I'm unsure about how well this went...**

John dropped his bag with a sigh and embraced his sister warmly, ruffling his hands in her cropped hair before pulling away beaming.

"It's shorter than I remember"

"Do you like it? Mum says it makes me look like you" Harry replied pulling a face and earning a playful punch on the shoulder from the doctor as he walked past her shaking his head.

Dropping into a plush armchair he gazed around smiling at the pictures of Harry on her wedding day, dressed in a lilac cocktail dress one arm clinging to a suited Clara the other draped over the shoulders of their father, the frame placed carefully behind a small collection of AA chips denoting 6 months of sobriety forming a display of Harry's achievements, a Watson family tradition with John's own collection kept safe from meddling detectives at his parents' house in Shropshire.

"So what happened? Trouble in paradise?"

"You could say that" John frowned into his lap pensively, "he's just being himself and I know he can't help it but body parts that are not my own in my bed is not conducive to a healthy home environment"

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Body parts not your own, I would have thought that would make quite a happy home, especially considering how much you talk about him" she added with a wink.

"Don't be obscene; the body parts in question were dead and under my pillow"

"Dead? Who is this guy?"

"Don't worry they have a legit source, it's some experiment or other about the rate of decay in the conditions beneath a pillow, somehow it was vital to determining time of death in one of his newest cases" Ignoring the worried expression across from him he continued, "It's not the dead bodies I mind, he has to get data somewhere, can't make bricks without clay and all that, it's the fact he didn't ask! And not to mention the fact he seems to want to destroy any hope I have of happiness with anyone else, distractions he calls them, distractions like it's just my job to sit around while he barks his deductions at me. I barely say anything back to him he doesn't need me there for him to deduce so why he insists upon it I have no idea. Sometimes I think he just wants to make me as lonely as he is..."

"Whoa whoa calm down motor mouth" leaning forward Harry patted her brother's hand gently, eyebrows now firmly knitted in concern.

John released the last of his breath and sunk backwards in the chair, he hadn't noticed that as he talked he had assumed the classic Sherlock thought position and he shuddered that the man had now begun to seep even into his own mannerisms."So how's your life going? I see you are Clara are having another go at it"

"How did you know that?"

"Well for a start the wedding picture is back on your 'display' and secondly there is a number of shoes in the hall some of them one size smaller than the others, indicating she spends enough time here that she can leave her shoes lying around. Also there is a mug in the kitchen with a smear if lipstick on it in Clara's shade and you don't wear lipstick, did she move back in or something?"

"I think he is rubbing off on you!"Harry said with a laugh.

"I wish" John countered moodily.

"Oh gross" she snorted nudging him with her foot causing a smile to bubble at the corners of his mouth, "So no luck with the wooing?"

"As far as I know Sherlock doesn't even know what sex IS besides a motive, I mean if he hasn't noticed the blatancy of Molly's attempts or those of that stupid hot guy at the Queen's Head, what hope do I have?"

"Have you even tried, you know, asking him out on a date or anything?"

"He made it quite clear when we met he was married to the job and I don't want to risk losing whatever it is that we've got"

"Then if you are so in love with him why have you come here complaining about living with the guy?"

"I don't even know, I guess it was just getting too much. You don't know what it's like to be that frustrated around someone while also having to deal with that person being completely insane. Living in that flat is nothing like normal life, I just though maybe a week somewhere normal doing normal things around my sister might make me feel better and by the way I'm not in love with him, it's just a fucking crush"

"Say no more Bro, let me put the kettle on and we can settle down and watch Top Gear or something, get your mind off lover boy" Harry laughed, dodging the perfectly aimed cushion from the armchair and ducking into the kitchen.

Suddenly, a loud crash and a yelp had John out of his chair and moving towards the kitchen, pausing only to pull the Browning from the side pocket of his bag, kept as a promise to Mycroft that they at least arm themselves while Moriaty was still at large. After the explosion that had threatened to kill them three months earlier the older Holmes had implemented a number of security measures and guidelines for the baker street pair.

Skidding on the tiled floor he instinctively grabbed Harry's arm and pulled her behind him as he entered, aiming his gun at the apparent intruder.

"Sherlock?"

The detective looked up and grinned from his position splayed across the sink and drying rack besides feet still sticking out of the open window as though he had taken a run and jump 6ft into the window, hauling himself up and onto the previously cleaned china.

"John! Thank god I got the right flat"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thank you all so much for your reviews! I hope you like this chapter. Reviews as ever are extremely welcome. **

There was a beat as the doctor considered the man now stood in front of him brushing his clothes down, eyes already scanning and deducing the contents of the room. His own eyes drifted to the scorched marks on Sherlock's clothing, assessing the burns on his face and neck before he leapt into action, grasping his friend by the arm and leading him to sit in the front room his doctor's instincts taking over so he hadn't even noticed he had begun to shout orders to his shell-shocked sister.

Finally when the wounds had been cleaned and dressed he sat back and observed his work, Sherlock curled in the chair opposite one trouser leg torn off in the hurry to get to the worst of his wounds, shirt tossed to the floor and bright white dressings standing out against sickly pale skin covered lightly in bruises.

"What the hell happened?"

The detective shrugged nonchalantly, "Moriaty tried to blow up the flat, unfortunately the guy he hired was an amateur, managed to only get the kitchen ruining a very important experiment and killing himself in the process. Luckily I had noticed someone had been there and managed to warn Mrs Hudson, I received this," he flourished his hands among his various injuries, "Trying to recover our laptop"

"You Idiot!"

"How am I expected to work without the ability to get data, all my files are on this John, You know I can't make bricks..."

"Without clay, yes yes. What are we going to do now?" John moaned putting a hand to his forehead.

"Mycroft has been informed he should arrive shortly, we leave in the morning" Sherlock answered in his usual humans are stupid tones, finally looking up and noticing Harry would stood to John's right arms wrapped around her waist with an eyebrow raised.

"Err excuse me? I don't believe we've met, I'm Harry and this is my fucking house I think I should have a say who stays here or not" she took a step forward almost visibly bristling at the detective who watched her with mild interest, "John can stay but I'm not having some fucking nutter bringing other fucking nutters here, I just finished decorating that hallway and I don't plan on having my house blown up"

Sherlock rose from his seat and looked to John who's hands were now so firmly pressed to his face he was in danger of breaking the bones in his nose, he turned back to Harry raising his own brow "Well then I suggest you allow my brother to come here, for us all to stay the night and then John and I to leave in the morning", he turned back to the doctor who was now groaning hands pulled to his chin staring into the distance, "John they are going to come after you too, Mycroft can only keep Harry's identity safe for a while and when Moriaty's men can't use the records to find her they will find her friends and then find her. He will probably insist on your whole family going into custody for your own protection"

Harry moved to protest but a hand on her arm halted her march forward, "Why now, I thought we had precautions in place"

"Well my brother isn't as powerful as he makes out and he can't control time, which apparently has run out on the Moriaty front"

The doctor nodded and looked up at his sibling who was now standing hands on hips glaring at Sherlock with such venom John worried for his flatmates health. Sighing and rolling his eyes he took her by the arm and pulled her into the kitchen and shutting the door.

"That? That is the guy that you got a huge crush on? I think the war messed you up worse than we thought John"

"Harry! Please listen to me, Sherlock is right this Moriaty guy, he's dangerous more dangerous than you could imagine but his brother, Mycroft can help please please just do as he says, for me please"

"John I can't just leave my life where would I go?"

"Mycroft will sort that out, don't worry it shouldn't be for too long but it's too dangerous for you to stay here, he'll find you and he might hurt you, I couldn't live with myself if anything happened please"

"Fine but I'm doing this for you and for the fact I don't personally want to die just because you decided to shack up with the great weirdo in there"

"I did not shack up with him" He leant his forehead on her shoulder and whimpered, "I can't get adventure when I want but when I want a little normality this happens, am I cursed?"

"Haha Ok John we'd better get back in there, I don't like the thought of leaving him alone with my stuff for more than five minutes" Patting the back of her brothers neck she pushed passed him back into the front room to find Sherlock still curled up where they had left him typing furiously on his mobile, he looked up as they entered.

"We can stay but a few ground rules, firstly no deducing I don't care how much of my sister and our family you can get from her house I don't want to hear it, not tonight. Secondly Sherlock here we have to respect other people privacy, if she is in the bathroom and you suddenly have any possible idea besides one that threatens her life right that second it can wait till she has finished. I assume you won't be sleeping tonight and will be down here the whole time, luckily your violin isn't here but that doesn't mean the TV is on full blast all night ok?" Sherlock rolled his eyes and went back to his typing as Harry tried to stifle a giggle.

"Oh John you are starting to sound like mum!"

Shrugging off the comment and sitting opposite the detective he continued to stare at him eyebrows raised, "Sherlock?"

"Yes I agree John, honestly!"

"No Sherlock are you shivering?"He moved forwards and pulled the bare arms of the detective to him, inspecting the goose bumps beneath the thin layer of hair on his arms.

"I'm not cold" John shook his head pulling his bags from besides he door and retrieving a red sweater from within,

"Put that on, you are too freaking skinny and injured to be sitting around topless in the middle of fucking winter, speaking of that fact I'm going to make some food and we _all_ are going to have some right Sherlock?"

"I ate the day before yesterday" he protested pulling the jumper over his head with indignation.

"And I'm your Doctor "John answered his face betraying nothing but quelling further protest from the detective.

...

An hour later John stood in the kitchen listening to his sister and Sherlock talking as he washed the pots form his impromptu stew.

"So are you working on any cases at the moment?" Harry asked, her interest and esteem for the detective and his processes had risen in discussion over tea about his various experiments using body parts and his many excursions abroad solving mysteries with John for a highly prestigious clients.

"I was working on getting a man out of gaol with a experiment concerning bacon and a number of house fly eggs, however this was destroyed in the explosion so that has currently been cancelled"

"But what about that guy in prison? Can't you do anything for him?"

"Why, my experiment was destroyed"

"But shouldn't you at least try to help, get that brother of yours to do something, I mean he's stuck in there and he might be innocent"

"So are many other people, I'm not asking Mycroft to save everyone that might be innocent and in gaol at this current time!"

"But..."

"Save it" John came through from the kitchen wiping his hands on a tea towel dropping it onto the table he smiled, "Well at least you too seem to be getting along at last"

Suddenly John froze and Sherlock sat up, both turning in the direction of the front of the house in silence. As though by instinct the two of them sprang into action, Sherlock clasping a pale hand against Harry's mouth and pulling her toward the kitchen as John rested the gun from the pocket of his coat and crept towards the front hall.

As the shouting and movement died down in the hallway a familiar murmur was heard and the light blinked on. Sherlock rose to his feet from where he and Harry had been crouched, his own gun held across him ready for the attack in the unlikely even John had been incapacitated and entered the hall way to find a John standing opposite a flushed Mycroft who was brushing down the front of his suit. Spotting Sherlock he paused, a sly smile breaking out across his features as he bent to pick up his dropped umbrella.

"Really John you have to stop pushing me up against the wall in darkened hallways and pointing your gun at me, people will talk"


	3. Chapter 3

"Still creeping around in the dark Mycroft? You're going to get yourself shot" Sherlock released his arm and slipped his gun into his pocket.

"Indeed" Mycroft grimaced flicking his fingers at the guards behind them to lower their weapons. Dropping his grimace for a sickly smile he held out a hand to a stunned Harry "My apologies for dropping in on your..."his eyes swept the hall" ... lovely home, may we come through?"

"I don't really have a choice do I" With a raised eyebrow and arms folded she spun on the spot, marching away from him throwing John a glare as she passed. John held a hand out to guide them into the sitting room, catching Sherlock's wrist as he made to follow.

"Promise me she will be ok, you will protect her"

"John..."

"Clara too, and my parents. Promise me Sherlock that they won't get hurt because of this," he gestured between them and they fell to silence. The hall was silent and Johns hand was uncomfortably warm on Sherlock's wrist. "Even though you know that this is something you can't promise because he is everywhere and he is so so dangerous. Promise me because he is a just a man, and men can be beaten"

Sherlock nodded making to say something but thinking better of it as John held his gaze. Suddenly he found himself aware of how close the other man was to him, in the empty hallway, in the dim light and he felt something, something he had never felt before John. He felt the urge to be closer, where normally he would pull away.

"Are you two going to stand there staring at each other all night?" their contact was broken and they looked up to see a smirking Harry leaning on the doorframe of the sitting room.

"No of course" John mumbled moving past Sherlock with downcast eyes, his hands shaking thrust deeply into his jacket pocket. Sherlock watched with interest at his friends strange behaviour, he seemed ashamed as though he had been caught doing something he shouldn't.

"He likes you know" Harry quipped "He wouldn't leave you for anything you know that, not really. But you probably already worked that out and you still drag him around all these dangerous situations"

"John has a choice I don't make him stay"

"Who would ask for a life like this then? Who wants a madman chasing after them, their life at danger around every corner and the lives of the people they love?"With a laugh Harry joined her brother.

...

"I would move you tonight if I could but too many comings and goings at this address so late at night would cause too much of a stir for him not to notice."

"What about mum and dad?"

"Your parents have been taken, Clara shall be picked up when her shift finished" Mycroft checked his watch, "In three hours and taken to the same location, as will you" he gestured towards Harry" then all of you will be moved to another location until Moriarty has been apprehended"

"Where have they been taken?" John placed a hand on his sister's leg with a reassuring smile.

"I'm afraid we can't release that information"

"Oh, of course"

"Wait what? Why can't John know?" John stiffened then looked down but she caught his eye "Why can't you know John?"

"Just in case"

"In case what? You are caught and tortured is that it, who the fuck is this man?"

"Harry please calm down, Sherlock's going to find this guy and we will beat him. Just please do as you are told so you are safe? For me?"

Harry sat back in her chair and sighed "Fine whatever if you get yourself killed by a mad man chasing around after another see if I care but you are sure as shit not staying in my room, you two can share the spare double. Mr Holmes I apologise but I can only offer you and your friends the sofas" She rose from her seat and flounced from the room without another word.

"She doesn't mean that you of course may take the spare double"

"No I don't quite think I will be sleeping to do, much planning to be done you see. Perhaps you should take my brother for some sleep, I doubt he has slept much recently and it's best if he's rested" Mycroft answered with a smirk at his brother who sat perched at the arm of the sofa besides John. His eyes were large and glassy but his face had the starved look of a brain in long need of rest.

Sherlock countered with a scowl, oh how he hated when Mycroft pointed out the frailty of the meat cage his brain was imprisoned within."Fine fine whatever" John yawned, once again taking Sherlock's wrist and leading him from the room, stalwart strength resisting his weak protestations.


End file.
